Tunnel first safety device

ABSTRACT

In order to increase the safety of tunnels when a fire occurs, the tunnel is divided into sections (A) which are then separated from each other by curtains ( 1 ). Each section (A) is provided with at least one fire sensor ( 2 ) which closes said curtains ( 1 ) in said section (A) if a fire breaks out.

This invention relates to a safety device for fires in tunnels.

There has recently been a dramatic increase in the number of tunnelfires with human casualties.

Numerous elaborate measures have been proposed for diminishing theconsequences, for example building rescue tunnels parallel to theexisting tunnels.

The problem of the invention is to provide a simply constructed safetydevice for preventing the disastrous consequences of tunnel fires.

This is obtained according to the invention with the safety devicecharacterized in claim 1. The subclaims render advantageous embodimentsof the invention.

According to the invention, curtains that can be closed in the event ofa fire are provided in the tunnel at intervals of for example 50 metersto 200 meters. This permits the tunnel portion to be closed off when thefire sensor has detected a fire in said portion. The curtain is made ofincombustible material, for example a cloth of fibers of inorganicmaterial.

The inventive safety device is thus characterized by its simplicity.

The fire sensor can be a smoke detector and/or heat sensor. The curtainscan be mounted on the tunnel ceiling in a rolled up or folded state.

However, the curtains are preferably drawn across the roadway or, in thecase of a railroad or cable railway tunnel, across the tracks.

The curtains are for this purpose suspended on the tunnel wall in thedrawn up, i.e. folded, state, preferably in a joint or similar recessprovided, for example milled, in the tunnel wall.

The recess or other space in which the drawn up curtains are located canbe closable by flaps to protect the curtains from soiling.

Each curtain can consist of a plurality of parts, in particular twoparts or halves, that in the drawn up or folded state are disposed on orin one or the other tunnel wall. For closing, the two curtain parts aredrawn in the direction of the opposite tunnel wall. In the extendedstate the curtain parts can thus extend from one tunnel wall to theother, i.e. form a double-walled curtain, but they can also extend onlyhalfway across the tunnel, preferably so as to overlap in the middle ofthe tunnel.

Closing of the curtains is effected by a motor, for example an electricmotor. However, a pyrotechnic motor can also be provided forautomatically closing the curtains for example. The motor can also openthe flaps protecting the curtains from soiling.

The curtains preferably consist in particular in the lower area ofstrips extending from above to below, i.e. vertically, to permit them tobe drawn over vehicles and similar objects in the tunnel. The width ofthe strips can be for example 20 centimeters to 50 centimeters. Thestrips are preferably formed so as to overlap in the extended state ofthe curtain. To increase the protection, two curtain parts can also beprovided on each side of the tunnel that form two also be provided oneach side of the tunnel that form two curtain portions spaced one behindthe other in the drawn up state of the curtain.

For drawing up, the curtains are guided on slide rails provided on or inthe area of the tunnel ceiling. If a plurality of parts are used foreach curtain, multiple-track slide rails are preferably used.

In the event of a fire in one tunnel portion, the curtains of saidportion are closed. This contains the danger sector. Persons located inthe danger area thus have time to leave the danger area through thecurtain. The danger area is thus limited by the curtains to an easilysurveyed sector. Outside said area the smoke gases that have developedconstitute a substantially lower danger for the individual persons.

To suck off the smoke gases arising in the event of a fire, each tunnelportion has at least one device for sucking off vitiated air. Thevitiated air suction device can be formed for example by an opening inthe tunnel ceiling that leads to the vitiated air duct of the tunnel.Preferably, the connection from each tunnel portion to the vitiated airduct is closable by a flap or similar shut-off device.

In the event of a fire the fire sensor can thus open the flap of thevitiated air suction device in the portion with the fire, while all orat least some of the flaps of the vitiated air suction devices of theother tunnel portions can be closed by the fire sensor. The smoke gasesformed can thus be selectively sucked off. The closing of the flaps ofthe other tunnel portions causes the total suction effect to beconcentrated on the portion with the fire.

The curtains are formed so that, in the closed state, they close off theupper area of the tunnel more tightly than the lower tunnel area. Thisensures that fresh air sucked into the portion with the fire by thevitiated air suction device flows into the lower area of the curtains,so that any injured persons lying on the tunnel floor have more chanceof escaping the smoke gases. It is known that 80 percent of tunnelvictims die from smoke gases and not from burns. Since the individualcurtains are for example 100 meters apart, air is not sucked in stronglyenough to cause additional kindling of the fire.

The inventive safety device guarantees that rescue vehicles and firetrucks can penetrate from outside to the portion with the fire withoutbeing exposed to appreciable smoke development or heat, whichsubstantially facilitates rescue measures as well as extinguishing andsalvage operations.

Further, the tunnel portions can each be provided with a traffic light,whereby in the event of a fire the fire sensor switches all trafficlights located before the portion with the fire in the driving directionto red, and all traffic lights located after the portion with the fireto green. The traffic lights switched red cause the total followingtraffic to be not only stopped but at the same time broken up, since theindividual cars or groups of cars stop at intervals, e.g. of 100 meters,corresponding to the portions. The broken up following traffic permitsoperational units to penetrate to the scene of the accident more easily.This breaking up also permits vehicles to turn around more easily toleave the tunnel in the opposite direction. The traffic lights switchedgreen permit those vehicles to move away that are located after theportion with the fire in the driving direction.

Further, a loudspeaker or intercom can be mounted in each portion forguiding persons in the right direction.

Further, each portion can be provided with a video camera so that thecircumstances of the accident can be immediately detected and thecorresponding rescue measures taken.

To prevent false trips, a plurality of fire sensors are preferablyprovided in each portion. Thus, the curtains are only closed before andafter each portion in the driving direction if for example at least twofire sensors detect a fire. Also, each tunnel portion can be providedwith an impact switch for closing the curtains.

The actuation of the individual curtains, the individual sensors, theactuating devices for the flaps on the vitiated air suction device andthe dust flaps for the drawn up curtains as well as the video camerascan be checked regularly by a central computer.

The inventive safety device permits tunnels to be retrofitted atreasonable cost. In the event of a fire the relevant tunnel portion canbe closed off within seconds. Persons located in the danger area canflee through the preferably strip-shaped curtain and find safety.Persons in the tunnel, outside the portion with the fire, are protectedfrom smoke and heat even if they remain seated in their vehicles. Smokegases are sucked off from the source of the fire from above so that anyinjured persons on the tunnel floor are spared from smoke gases for acertain time. Operational units can immediately penetrate to the dangerarea and begin rescue since the heat and source of the fire can be keptunder control in the relevant portion. Also, operational units canpenetrate into the portion with the fire only to rescue people and thenimmediately leave it. Thus, each person can move out of the danger areawithin seconds when passing the curtain. Moreover, the power of thevitiated air suction device can be increased in the event of a fire.

In the following an embodiment of the inventive safety device for tunnelfires will be explained in more detail by way of example with referenceto the drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a cross section through a tunnel with the curtainopen and closed; and

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section through a portion of the tunnel withclosed curtains.

According to FIG. 3, the tunnel is divided into portions A that areseparable from each other by fireproof curtains 1 mounted before andafter portion A in the driving direction. In each portion A fire sensors2 are provided on the ceiling that close curtains 1 in the event of afire in portion A.

According to FIG. 1, each curtain 1 consists of two curtain parts. Drawnup curtain parts 3, 4 are disposed in recesses 5 on the left and rightin the tunnel wall.

Recesses 5 are closable by flaps 6 to protect curtain parts 3, 4 fromsoiling.

Curtain parts 3, 4 are guided on slide rails 7 on tunnel ceiling 8.

For closing, curtain parts 3, 4 are drawn across roadway 9 (FIG. 2) e.g.with a motor not shown, for example an electric motor or similarautomatically acting device not shown. That is, curtain parts 3, 4 areextended in the direction of the other tunnel wall so that they overlapin the middle, as shown by the dash line in FIG. 2. Curtain parts 3, 4consist of strips 11 that are 30 centimeters wide for example.

Curtain parts 3, 4 can also extend in the closed state across totalroadway 9 so as to form a double-walled curtain comprising curtain parts3 and 4, as to be seen in FIG. 3.

Vitiated air duct 12 with ventilators and similar vitiated air suctiondevices not shown extends in the tunnel above tunnel ceiling 8. Vitiatedair duct 12 is connected with portion A by suction openings 13. Suctionopenings 13 are closable with flaps 14.

In the event of a fire, fire sensors 2 drive the motors for actuatingcurtains 1 of relevant portion A and the actuating devices for dirtflaps 6, causing flaps 6 to open and curtain parts 3, 4 to be drawn inthe direction of the other tunnel wall for closing curtains 1. At thesame time, sensors 2 cause flaps 14 to open for vitiated air suction inportion A with the fire, while the flaps are closed on the suctionopenings of the other portions, at least the portions adjacent the fireportion.

1. A safety device for fires in tunnels, characterized in that thetunnel has portions (A) that are separable from each other by curtains(1), each portion (A) being provided with at least one fire sensor (2)that causes the curtains (1) of the portion (A) to be closed in theevent of a fire.
 2. A safety device according to claim 1, characterizedin that the curtains (1) are closed by a motor that is driven by thefire sensor. (2)
 3. A safety device according to claim 1, characterizedin that the curtains (1) are drawn across the roadway (9) for closing.4. A safety device according to claim 3, characterized in that the drawnup curtains (1) are disposed on the tunnel wall.
 5. A safety deviceaccording to claim 4, characterized in that the drawn up curtains (1)are disposed in a recess (5) in the tunnel wall.
 6. A safety deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the drawn up curtains (1)are disposed in spaces closable by curtain flaps (6), the curtain flaps(6) being opened in the event of a fire.
 7. A safety device according toclaim 1, characterized in that the curtains (1) consist of strips (11)extending from above to below.
 8. A safety device according to claim 7,characterized in that the strips (11) overlap in the extended state ofthe curtains (1).
 9. A safety device according to claim 1, characterizedin that the curtains are formed to be fireproof.
 10. A safety deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that each curtain (1) consists ofat least two curtain parts (3, 4) on each tunnel side that are drawn inthe direction of the other tunnel side for closing.
 11. A safety deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that each curtain consists in theclosed state of two portions (3, 4) spaced one behind the other.
 12. Asafety device according to claim 1, characterized in that the curtainsare guided on slide rails (7) provided in the area of the tunnel ceiling(8).
 13. A safety device according to claim 1, characterized in that thecurtains (1) are formed in such a way as to close off the upper tunnelarea more tightly than the lower tunnel area.
 14. A safety deviceaccording to claim 1, characterized in that each tunnel portion (A) isprovided with at least one device for vitiated air suction.
 15. A safetydevice according to claim 14, characterized in that the vitiated airsuction device has a connection to the vitiated air duct (12) of thetunnel, said connection being closable with a shut-off device (14). 16.A safety device according to claim 15, characterized in that in theevent of a fire the shut-off device (14) of the vitiated air device inthe portion (A) with the fire is opened by the fire sensor (2) and theshut-off devices of the vitiated air suction devices of the otherportions are at least partly closed.
 17. A safety device according toclaim 1, characterized in that the tunnel portions (A) are each providedwith a traffic light, whereby in the event of a fire the fire sensorcauses all traffic lights before the portion (A) with the fire to beswitched to red and all traffic lights after the portion (A) with thefire to be switched to green.